U.S. Pat. No. 3,875,092 to Morris relates to acrylate rubbers having both halogen and carboxyl cure sites and utilizing a quaternary ammonium salt curative.
The use of acid retarders with polyacrylates in general has been known. Examples of such retarders include for example, citric acid, acetic acid, stearic acid., and the like. However, these acids also slow the cure at elevated temperatures and yield higher compression set values.
In a sales brochure entitled "Zeonet A/Zeonet B, A Non-Postcure Vulcanizing Agents for Acrylic Elastomers Nipol AR," the Nippon Zeon Co. LTD discloses that diphenyl urea may be used as a retarder for epoxy cure site acrylates.
However, it has been heretofore unknown to use urea or thiourea type compounds in halogen carboxyl cure site polyacrylate rubbers. Moreover, it has not been known to improve compression set characteristics in a polyacrylate system by the use of a retarder.
The present invention presents a heretofore unknown retarder for use with dual site polyacrylate rubbers as described in this patent. A retarder is an agent which is used to inhibit the onset and rate of vulcanization in order to decrease the tendency of a polymer to "scorch." Scorch is defined as an increase in the viscosity to the point where the material will no longer flow into the desired shape. Scorch occurs as a result of premature crosslinking.
Acrylate rubbers exhibit favorable qualities of weatherability, high temperature serviceability and good oil resistance. Thus the acrylate rubbers in accordance with the invention are useful for automotive and non-automotive applications, such as industrial and out-of-door applications. These acrylates may be used in processing such as compression, injection, or transfer moldings; steam autoclaves; continuous vulcanization (CV); cure techniques; and the like.